MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY of MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL of MEDICINE Winter 2017
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medicineMISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Winter 2017 SEEKING A SILVER BULLET CARE GAP CRISIS LOOMS FOR AGING MISSISSIPPIANS DR. KATRINA POE DR. RALPH DIDLAKE THE LOYAL TREATMENT CARING FOR 'THE TOWN THAT CARES' PUTS THE VERSE IN VERSATILITY 3 GENERATIONS OF MOORES MISSISSIPPI medicine CONTENTS is published biannually for the University of Mississippi School of Medicine by the Division of Public Affairs. FEATURES Winter 2017 • Volume 8 • Issue 1 2 Gray Area Chancellor, Can caregivers cope with a surge in University of Mississippi elderly patients? Jeffrey S. Vitter, Ph.D. WHOLE NEW 10 Dr. Katrina Poe Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Poe cares for ‘The Town that Cares’ BALL GAME and Dean, School of Medicine LouAnn Woodward, M.D. 2 Nathaniel “Nate” Hughes II, a former NFL wide receiver, 14 Dr. Ralph Didlake once wore the teal and gold of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Honolulu blue of the Detroit Lions, and the orange Vice Dean, School of Medicine Didlake puts the verse in versatility and brown of the Cleveland Browns. He now wears Loretta Jackson-Williams, M.D. the white coat of a second-year medical student. The 18 American Valued Macon native and Starkville High School graduate was President, Medical Alumni Macedonian-born student pledges named one of the Top 50 Greatest Football Players Chapter, University of allegiance to her new country at his alma mater, Alcorn State University, in 2014. Mississippi Alumni Association Tim Kerut, M.D. 50 Foresight is 20/20 A snapshot of the first-year class Director of Alumni Affairs, University of Mississippi Medical Center 52 The Loyal Treatment April Mann Overstreet 3 generations keep hands, hearts in alma mater Editor Gary Pettus Writers 10 Karen Bascom THE REST Bruce Coleman Ruth Cummins 20 News Digest 14 Amanda Markow A quick look at Medical Center news Annie Oeth Brandi S. Van Ormer 22 Philanthropy Cynthia Wall Recognizing UMMC benefactors Photographers Jay Ferchaud 30 Research Roundup Joseph W. Ellis Catch up on the latest findings from Charles Runyan UMMC scientists Designer 34 Practice Rounds Stephanie Seymour Features from the clinics Associate Director for Publications 40 Transitions Tim Irby A rundown of faculty comings and goings Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer 46 Kudos Tom Fortner Medical Center staff chalk up The University of Mississippi Medical Center offers honors, acclaim equal opportunity in education and employment, and in all its programs and services, M/F/D/V. 54 Class Notes What have your classmates been up to? 65 In Memoriam Remembering those we lost 52 areaGRAY Can caregivers cope with a surge in elderly patients? By Gary Pettus During a home visit with his patient, Jannie Leflore, Dr. Mark Meeks, far right, places a reassuring hand on Charlotte Baker, one of Leflore's daughters, asDr. Lyssa Weatherly takes note of Meeks' bedside manner. 2 Winter 2017 | Mississippi Medicine Mississippi Medicine | Winter 2017 3 s she peers into her doctor’s face, she lies on her cause there are so many more patients like her – patients “We’re blowing away the She’s an extremely qualified back in a clean, neat room of paneled walls hung dealing with pressure ulcers or incontinence or osteopo- actuarial tables, particularly candidate for geriatric care. Awith a handmade sign – “JANNIE G. LEFLORE rosis or limited mobility or multiple prescriptions or Al- here at St. Catherine’s; we’re In her case, care includes HOUSE” – as if to reassure her. Near it is a photograph of zheimer’s disease. well cared for and have the home visits from Meeks be- the late husband she believes is still alive. The number and scope of these cases is only going to grow, kind of socialization others cause it’s so difficult for her Dr. Mark Meeks, professor of medicine and director of the the byproduct of a population whose age is showing. In our age many not have. family to get her anywhere UMMC Division of Geriatrics, hovers above his patient’s Mississippi alone, within this group, well over 100,000 have “So we need doctors who – especially out of the car. sickbed, asking her a question that seems to stump her: been labeled “vulnerable.” are familiar with what hap- “For older patients, when “How old are you?” By one estimate, the state could use a geriatrician for every pens to us, mentally, physi- clinic visits are a burden, 700 of these adults – usually defined as those 65 and older. cally, emotionally. When Two weeks earlier, she celebrated her birthday. But she Sharlene McLemore, 82, of Madison, one of Dr. Mark Meeks' patients, says home visits are almost doesn’t answer. “Seventy-nine,” says her daughter, Janyce It has one for every 5,000. I heard about Dr. Meeks geriatricians are more likely to be familiar with the needs of people her age. always warranted,” said Leflore Jenkins, at last. “There will never be enough geriatricians in the country or the I said, ‘That’s the kind of Meeks, who also provides doctor I would like taking care of me at my age.’ Jannie Leflore stirs in her bed. “I ain’t no 79,” she says. state,” Meeks said, “unless something dramatically changes.” specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care at the MIND “But when I say I’m seeing a geriatrician, some of these Center Clinic and TeleMIND Program. Some months ago, it took Janyce hours to coax her moth- folks here don’t know what I’m talking about. Apparently Some of Meeks’ patients are referrals, but most are self- er out of the car at a house she thought was a stranger’s ‘NO ONE RALLIES FOR US’ there aren’t that many.” – her own. referred or their adult children bring them in. For many Geriatric patients – usually defined as those age 65 and old- The American Geriatrics Society has done the math. Pre- bed-bound patients who qualify, the Division of Geriat- And that’s why Meeks visits this room in Jannie Leflore’s er – can really use a physician who has been trained in skills suming that one geriatrician can care for a patient panel of rics offers home visits. house – to see a patient who knows she’s getting older, but medical students and residents rarely encounter, as a rule. 700, the AGS figures this state should have 186 of these doesn’t know how old she is. “Nothing says ‘my doctor cares’ Considering the magnitude of the approaching wave, this sub-specialists. It has 26. more than them showing up at the Who knows her husband’s name is William, but doesn’t may sound untenable. That’s based on its estimate that, of all Mississippians age front door,” said Dr. Sonya Shipley, know he has died. Nationwide, there are about 44 million older adults, but that 65 and older, more than 130,000 are vulnerable. UMMC assistant professor of family Who knows this back room like the back of her hand, but number will swell to 71 million by 2029, the U.S. Census Bureau Compared to rest of the country, that may not sound tsuna- medicine and a part-time geriatrics doesn’t recognize her own front door. estimates. This influx has been labeled the “silver tsunami.” mi-like. Worldatlas.com sets the state’s total elderly population fellow. “Unfortunately, it’s a lost art.” Neither does Jannie Leflore know what a geriatrician is, but “People are living longer,” said Sharlene McLemore, 82, – approximately 428,000 – at 14.27 percent of all Mississippi But not in the Division of Ge- she does know Meeks is her doctor. a patient of Meeks’ who resides in a Madison retirement residents. That’s lower than the figure for about 34 other states. riatrics. Periodically, Meeks alone And he knows there aren’t enough doctors like him, be- community, St. Catherine’s Village. “But Mississippi already has a low physician-to-patient ratio,” makes home visits to at least a Meeks said. “It has a lack of access to health care. So the half-dozen patients, some of health of geriatric patients here may be poorer compared to Shipley whom are beset by dementia, as those in other states with even greater geriatric populations.” in the case of Jannie Leflore. AGING IN Those populations combined have created a nationwide need As geriatricians will tell you, older patients face issues that MISSISSIPPI’S TOTAL NUMBER COULD BENEFIT for 20,000 geriatricians, the AGS says; it has under 7,500. are rarer for their younger counterparts. Just as children POPULATION: OF PERSONS 65 FROM GERIATRICIAN’S “The shortage is truly a concern,” aren’t miniature adults, geriatric patients aren’t middle-age AND OVER: CARE: said Dr. Kathy Frank, AGS board adults on Medicare. member, a Ph.D.-level nurse and ge- Not least among their 2,992,333 riatric program administrator at the 439,873 87,975 Indiana University School of Medi- nemeses are falls, the cine. “We aren’t graduating geriatric leading cause of injuries SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau estimates, July 1, 2015; Dr. Cynthia Brown, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine medicine fellows fast enough. for older Americans. Every 19 minutes, an “We as a society don’t acknowledge Nothing says ‘my older adult dies from that we’re aging. Look at the TV GERIATRICIAN GAP Frank commercials. It’s all about staying one, the National Coun- cil on Aging reports. doctor cares’ more than CERTIFIED GERIATRICIANS GERIATRICIAN young. No one wants to talk about dying. About taking pills. People don’t prepare for flow.” “Falls may be caused by GERIATRICIANS IN NEEDED IN STATEWIDE That flow “poses enormous challenges for the future of four or five different is- showing up at the MISSISSIPPI (2014): MISSISSIPPI: SHORTFALL: medical education,” the Association of American Medical sues,” Meeks said.